FanNation

I am changing the name of the blog to MLB Knowledge.  This night, the guests joining me were Detroit Steel, dyhard and Yanksfan . . . I forgot to keep the blog private so some others showed up but I still thank them for putting in their input and I will post their comments on this blog as well.

Who has been the Biggest Bust as a Hitter in the AL this season?

Dyhard: It's gotta be David Ortiz

Dawgee Fresh: I think it is Richie Sexson. He wasn't great last year but even so, he was supposed to be a little better this year. He is a guy who has around 300 career home runs (I think) and he hit only about 10 and got released by the Seattle Mariners and it is never a good sign when you get released by one of the worst teams in the league

Dyhard: He [David Ortiz] has been injured, and he hasn't had the production numbers that he had last year. He hasn't been helping out fantasy players for a while, and this is a bust.

Detroit Steel: I'm with dyhard - David Ortiz is injured right now and he wasn't even that good when he was healthy

Detroit Steel: Sexson was absolutely terrible in 2007 so what would make anybody think that he would be better in 2008? Sure, getting released was a surprise but other than that, he didn't do much worse than last year.

Yanksfan: I really have to say Jorge Posada. He did tremendous for the Yanks last year and this year he just fell apart, injury after injury. He has not been hitting good even when he was healthy and should just retire.

Dyhard: Richie Sexson wasn't even projected that well..., well not as well as David Ortiz was.

Dawgee Fresh: I feel that Jorge Posada's great season last year may have been a fluke. Before last season, he has never hit over .290 so I wasn't expecting much out of him anyways - he may be getting injured but that stuff happens as you get older

Detroit Steel: ^ Ditto

Dyhard: I agree with what Dawgee said about Jorge Posada

Yanksfan: Posada has always hit close to .290 and hit over 10 HR. He has been a lot better and if he wasn't injured he might have been able to help the Yanks some more.

Cassidy's House: AL Bust hitter is Victor Martinez, hands down.

Who has been the Biggest Bust as a Hitter in the NL?

Dyhard: Matt Holliday...he doesn't have NEARLY the production he had last year, and he is realyl having an off year on what was suppose to be a good year. He was drafted pretty high, yet he has been doing bad.

I think Troy Tulowitzki is also a candidate for this category. He has been injured and let a LOT of fantasy owners down because of that injury.

I think it is a tie between these two players

Detroit Steel: This may sound silly but I would have to say a pitcher - Micah Owings. Owings developed a reputation after 2007 when he hit .333 with 15 runs batted in as the NL's best hitting pitcher. This year he is hitting .275 with three runs batted in within about the same number of at-bats

Yanksfan: I am going to go with Holliday too

Dyhard: Micah Owings...he is having good about the same pitching numbers as last year, plus who uses a pitcher for hitting?

Dawgee Fresh: Ryan Howard - he is having a lot of home runs and runs batted in like usual but his average has been sinking like a ship in a stormy sea. He is hitting well under .250 after hitting over .310 in 2006 and almost .270 in 2007.

Cassidy's House: Bust: Adam LaRoche, Pirates

Dyhard: Ryan Howard is known to strike out a lot and have a bad BA. He is still having about the same number of HR and RBI though

Dawgee Fresh: Holliday made the All-Star Game again this year and is hitting .332 - although he may not hit 30 home runs like he did last year, his average speaks for itself. I don't get how a pitcher can be a bust at hitting though.

Yanksfan: Howard strikes out so much that his average drops

Bigdleech: And Laroche is not a "bust", Cassidy. In fact, he wasn't expected to do a lot after last season. And this season is going the same way last season did with him. Terrible start, plays better as the season goes on and picks his numbers up.

Yanksfan: Yea, D-Steel, how can a pitcher be a hitting bust??

Cassidy's House: http://www.protrade.com/content/DisplayArticle.html?sp=S4db64c41-414e-11dd-adb9-43fdf92ea405

LaRoche has been far from impressive. In fact disappointing

Bigdleech: Impressive? Hell no. Disappointing? A little. Biggest NL bust? Hell no.

Cassidy's House: Biggest bust NL hitter is Andruw Jones. He had a chance to save his rep and recapture his stats of two years ago in a new city and he has flopped miserably

Bigdleech: Sure, he could have. But no one expected him to. He isn't the player that he was five years ago. He doesn't try to get on base anymore. He trys to knock it out of the park every time, which you can't do. And his defense(not part of the topic, I know) is nothing like it was before.

Who has been the Biggest Surprise as a Hitter in the AL?

Dyhard: Josh Hamilton hands down. NO ONE expected what he has been doing. He has been playing AWESOME and has MVP type numbers.

Dawgee Fresh: Grady Sizemore, although I hate the guy. He has hit 25 home runs a year during his whole career and suddenly he hits that in just half a season? Ster-oids . . .

Yanksfan: I am going with Hamilton teamate Ian Kinsler. Very little people thought he would be in the MVP talk at this point of the season

Detroit Steel: I am going to go with another Texas Ranger, Milton Bradley. He has been a decent hitter and has suffered his share of injuries through his career as well but now he is leading the league in slugging percentage with some runs batted in, home runs, and a good average

Bigdleech: YanksFan is right. Ian Kinsler

Dawgee Fresh: I don't agree with Josh Hamilton - he is a former No. 1 overrall draft pick and everyone knew he was a great hitter. He has surprised a few people but not a huge surprise. Bradley was fantastiic the year before with the Pads while he was healthy, people knew this might be coming, and Kinsler was 20-20 last year

Yanksfan: Also with Hamilkton, he played 90 games last year for the Reds and had 19 HR and a .292 AVG, this year in 95 games- 21 HR, .309 AVG. So, if he had more games last year he would have had equal numbers to this year

Dyhard: Josh Hamilton waasn't expected to do THIS well. Who knew he would be the STAR of the MLB?

Who has been the Biggest Surprise as a Hitter in the NL?

Detroit Steel: Biggest surprise in the NL would have to be, positively Nate McLouth. He wasn't sure if he would even get a starting outfield job this year and now he is an All-Star.

Bigdleech: Nate Mclouth

Bigdleech: HIs teammates voted him the breakout player of the year

Dawgee Fresh: Chipper Jones. I know that he was a great hitter before but who would have thought that he would be hitting .375 and meeting with .400 for a while?

Dyhard: Nate McLouth like you all have said.

Yanksfan: I also agree with McLouth.

Who was the Biggest Surprise as a Pitcher in the whole MLB?

Detroit Steel: It is clearly between Tim Lincecum, Edinson Volquez and Cliff Lee but Lee has been most surprising - he was down in Triple A last year.

Dyhard: I have to say TIm LIncecum. He is a great pitcher, but on the Giants? They are HORRIBLE this year, yet Lincecum has done MARVELOUS this year, and he really has done a VERY good job.

Bigdleech: Cliff Lee. Should be a Pirate, too

Yanksfan: I am going with Cliff Lee too.

Nickb23: Edinson was sent back to A ball last year, I think he is the biggest surprise of the three, cause he has never performed at this level.

You know our opinion, now we want to know yours.